Railway signal-torpedo.



F. BUTCHER. RAILWAY SIGNAL TORPEDO. APPLICATION man 001.16. me.

1,256,991. Patented Feb.19,1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- F. BUTCHER. RAILWAYSIGNAL TORPEDO. APPLICATION men OCT. l6. 1916.

1 ,256 ,991 Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FRANK BUTCHER, 0F VERSAILLES, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOBTO CENTRAL RAILWAY SIGNAL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

RAILWAY SIGNAL-TORPEDO.

Application filed October 16, 1916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK DUTCI-IER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Versailles, in the county ofAllegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Railway Signal-Torpedoes, of which the followingis a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyingdrawing.

This invention relates to improvements in railway signal torpedoes, andpertains to a paper case torpedo, and the object of the invention is toprovide a clamping ring or member which is destroyed by the flame andheat of the explosion, thus providing a clamping member which will notfly and injure by-standers, the whole structure therefore making atorpedo which is non-flying and harmless.

The type of torpedo to which the invention is here shown as applied isof the button top or bulls eye, though the clamping member is capable ofbeing used for closing the case of any type of non-flying or papertorpedo.

The present invention also involves the idea of applying a fire-proofingcoating to the exterior of the clamping ring or member, whereby it isnot readilysusceptible to ignition and destruction from the outside.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure l is a perspective view of atorpedo involving my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the torpedo,showing in detail the clamping action of the clamping ring or member.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the several parts composing the torpedo,the parts shown in separated relation.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the manner of attaching a springrail-engaging strap to the torpedo.

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the clamping ring or member,the same being shown partly in section.

The type of torpedo here shown to which the new clamping member isapplied is composed of a bulged or button top 1, a plastic explosive 2,a bottom (llSk 3 and a rail-strap carrying disk 4:. The top 1 is rovidedwith a projecting flange 5, and the disks 3 and 4: are made of a sizecorrespond- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

Serial No. 125,892.

ing to the size of the top 1, including its flange 5. The explosivetablet 2 and the disks 3 and 4 are placed in the relation shown in Figs.2 and 3, ready to receive the clamping member 6. This clamping member 6is first in the shape shown in Fig. 4:, which is L-shaped incross-section, having a bottom flange 7 and a flange 8, which is turnedover on top of the flange 5 and clamped down thereon.

T he improvement herein involved is making the clamping member 6 ofcelluloid or equivalent material, which is readily inflammable andreadily destructible by flame and. heat. It is shaped as shown in Fig. tand will be pressed down to the clamping shape shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3and 7 by warm dies (not shown) since the material is readily pliableunder the action of gentle heat, and will remain in the pressed shapeafter it is cooled. In this instance, the flange 5 and the disks 3 and 4may be connected by waterproof cement and the member 6 will serve tohold the disks and the flange against separation. In fact, by making theclamping ring 6 of sufficient thickness, it can be made to fit and clampthe flanged and under disk sufliciently tight to prevent the entrance ofwater or moisture under the clamping member, and thus making awaterproof joint between the parts of the paper case.

When the torpedo explodes and the explosive breaks out at any pointwhere the clamping ring 6 is located, the flame and heat of theexplosion will practically instantly destroy the clamping ring where itbreaks out whereby there are no flying particles of the released portionof the clamping ring to injure persons who may happen to be standing by.

Where metal clamping members are provided, sometimes the explosivebreaks out where the metal clamping member is located and tears away apart of the metal clamp and hurls it through the air with liability toinjure persons. While this tearing away of the metal clamp does notoccur frequently, it does occur at times with the resultant dangertherefrom. By using a clamping member made of a material which isreadily destroyed by flame and heat, this danger is avoided and anabsolutely harmless and non-flying torpedo is the result.

The rail-engaging strap 10 may be applied to the torpedo in any desiredmanner,

without affecting the present invention. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, therail-engaging strap is attached by passing it through openings 11, madein the outer disk-4:.

When, however, a spring rail-engaging strap 12 is to be used, then asuitable clip 13 will be used, and this clip may be of any desiredmaterial, so that it would be'destroyed by the flameiand heat of theexplosive.

However, metal may be used and the advantages ofv the invention stillreinaimbecause the explosive force, if it should break out at the edgeof the torpedo, will break out at the points (of least resistance, sothat the edge of the torpedo not reinforced by the metal clip 13 wouldbe the part to break out under the force of the explosive and thecelluloid-clamping ring would be destroyed, as

abovestated, by the flame and heat of the explosive that hit it at.any'point.

F or the purpose of preventing the clamping ringgor member 6 from beingreadily ignited from the outside in the completed torpedo, it isprovided with a' fire-proof coating 14:,ofany suitable material for thatpurpose, such, for instance, as sodium silioatei, though otherfire-proof coating may be use Having thus described my invention, whatIelaim and desire to secure by Letters Patcut is 1. A non-flying railwaysignal torpedo,- comprising a fiber case composed of a'plurality ofparts, an explosive between them, and amember' clamping the partstogether composed of material readily destructible by flame and heat andcompressible to maintain clamping heat.

2. A non-flying railway signal torpedo, comprising a plural-part fibercase, an explosive" between them, and a non-fibrous inflammable clampingmember for the parts of thecase." r

non-flying torpedo comprising a fiber .7

Copies of this patent may be obtained for position in the presence ofcomprising a paper or fiber case composed of separate upper and lowermembers, an :explosive between them, the members projecting beyond theexplosive to form flanges,

and a ring-like clamping member U-shaped in crossesection and embracingand clamping the parts of the casetogether. p

6. A non-flying railway signal torpedo, comprising a plural-part fibercase, an explosive between them, and a ring-likeclampingmember, theclamping member U-shaped in cross-section and embracing the edges of theparts of the case and composed of mate- .rial readily destructible byflame and heat.

7. A non-flying torpedo, comprising a fiber case, and a ring-likeclosingmemberfor the. case and composed of material readily destroyed byflame and heat and said ring like closing member having afire-proofexternal coating. r

8. A non-flying railway signal torpedo,

comprising a' plural part fiber case with be ripheral projectingflanges, and a1ring-like clamping member U-shaped in cross-section andembracing the-said flanges of the cases and composed ofinflammablemater'ial eompressible to maintain U=shaped clamping-p0.-

sition in the presence'of heat. V V I In testimony whereof I hereuntoaflix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

FRANK D T HE Witnesses:

AN1 A 'BEvAN,

R. WLJUNKERQ five cents each, by. addressingthe commissionrlot .Patents,Washington, 10.0." a

